FIREFIGHTERS were called to a fire at Colchester Institute which caused severe smoke-logging throughout the third and fourth floors.

FIREFIGHTERS were called to a fire at Colchester Institute which caused severe smoke-logging throughout the third and fourth floors.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building, in Sheepen Road, shortly before 10.30pm yesterday to search for casualties and extinguish the flames.

No one was inside.

Station officer Dick Nunn said: “The staff at the institute did an excellent job evacuating the building, the procedure was carried out quickly and efficiently, everybody was out of the building in a matter of minutes.”

The fire started in an overhead hair dryer. The radiated heat from the burning plastic set the two adjacent dryers on fire along with the seats below them.